Munich / New York. The BMW i3 continues to build on
its successful start to life in both the global new vehicle
registration rankings and various major competitions. Most recently,
the all-electric BMW i3 (94 Ah) was crowned the winner of the
World Urban Car Award 2017 presented at the New York International
Auto Show. The i3 combines a vehicle concept developed from day one to
provide pure-electric mobility in urban areas – featuring a passenger
cell made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) – and powerful
BMW eDrive technology with an extremely powerful high-voltage battery
to increase the car’s range by around 50 per cent. “We are delighted
that the BMW i3 has been recognized as the World Urban Car of the
Year,” says Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO of BMW of North
America. “The design brief for the i3 was to create a Mega City
Vehicle for the cities of the future. Today, the impressive range of
the BMW i3 (94 Ah) and its high level of dynamic performance make it
the perfect sustainable urban vehicle for people around the world.”

The BMW i3 (94 Ah) (fuel consumption in the NEDC combined cycle:
0.0 l/100 km; electric power consumption combined:
13.1 – 12.6 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 0 g/km) was the
inaugural winner of the new urban mobility category of the renowned
World Car of the Year Award (WCOTY). The competition’s Steering
Committee launched the prize in recognition of the specific demands on
personal mobility in urban environments. As well as the restricted
availability of road and parking space, plans to reduce the emissions
generated by road traffic present vehicle manufacturers with
challenges that only innovative vehicle concepts can hope to address.
World Car Vice-Chairman Mike Rutherford noted how the BMW i3 had
demonstrated that such models can be classy and attractive, and also
very enjoyable to drive. With its compact exterior dimensions and
125 kW/170 hp electric motor, he described the BMW i3 as “among the
best value‐for‐money products on the market”.

Global leadership powered by BMW i’s eDrive technology: with
its BMW i and BMW iPerformance models, BMW Group is the most
successful manufacturer of vehicles with alternative drive systems. *

Since it was launched some three-and-a-half years ago, the BMW i3 –
with its steadily rising registration figures – has been a constant
presence at the top of the sales charts for premium compact electric
vehicles both in Europe and around the world. Evidence of the i3’s
leading role in the development of electric mobility can be found not
least in the fact that, in many markets, it now has a significantly
higher share of the electric vehicle market than its parent brand BMW
can claim in segments for conventionally powered models. In Germany,
for instance, the i3 now has a 22 per cent share of the market (BMW
overall: 8 per cent), in Norway it tops the statistics with 27 per
cent and Europe-wide the figure is 17 per cent. The BMW i8 plug-in
hybrid sports car has also contributed to the international success of
the BMW i brand. With its unique and enthralling blend of driving
pleasure and sustainability, it has risen to become the world’s most
successful hybrid sports car.

Through the extensive transfer of technology to the other BMW Group
brands, BMW i has also been a significant factor in the company’s
outstanding market success in the field of sustainable mobility. Since
March 2017, the BMW eDrive drive-system technology originally
developed for BMW i models has found its way into six BMW model ranges
and been introduced for the first time in a MINI. Since the start of
2017, BMW has led the way in the premium segment not only in Germany,
but also across Europe and around the world with its BMW iPerformance
Automobiles. In Germany, it has a 28 per cent share of the plug-in
hybrid market, and BMW iPerformance Automobiles have a worldwide
market share of 20 per cent.

Fuelled by the burgeoning popularity of its BMW i and BMW
iPerformance Automobiles, the BMW Group has spearheaded progress in
the field of sustainable mobility. The overall picture of market
segment coverage and sales figures shows that the company is now the
leading provider worldwide of vehicles with electrified drive systems.
Offering models in nine different vehicle classes, the diversity of
the BMW Group’s vehicle line-up is beyond that of any rival, and the
company currently stands third for new registrations in the global
electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle market overall. In 2017 alone, the
BMW Group is on course to sell more than 100,000 cars with
all-electric or plug-in hybrid drive systems. Based on its constant
increase in sales, BMW Group is expecting around 15-25% of its
worldwide sales in 2025 to be powered by an all-electric or plug-in
hybrid drive system. * Source: Polk/HIS Report, 13 April 2017 issue

As well as enjoying continuing sales success, the BMW i brand has
also been an increasingly prolific accumulator of awards for its
products and all-encompassing approach to sustainable mobility. Among
the highlights of recent months have been winning the “Goldene Lenkrad
2016” award in the “Alternative Drive Systems” category. Back in 2013,
the BMW i3 won the “Grüne Lenkrad” award in the same competition,
making it the first model to earn the distinction – presented by “Auto
Bild” and “Bild am Sonntag” in recognition of exceptional
environmental performance – for the second time. A few weeks later,
the BMW i brand was presented with the “Premium Pionier
Elektromobilität” international editor’s award in “Auto Zeitung”
magazine’s “Auto Trophy” competition.

The BMW i3 (94 Ah) also won over the “Car of the Year” jury in Great
Britain at the start of 2017. The i3 topped the poll organised by
“What Car?” magazine in the category for electric vehicles priced
between £20,000 and £40,000. And not long afterwards, the BMW i8
plug-in hybrid sports car (fuel consumption in the NEDC combined
cycle: 2.1 l/100 km [134.5 mpg imp]; electric power consumption
combined: 11.9 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 49 g/km) added
another trophy to its collection, winning the “Auto Bild Allrad”
magazine readers’ poll in the all-wheel-drive hybrid car category.

About BMW i and BMW iPerformance

BMW i is a BMW Group brand focusing on connected mobility services,
visionary vehicle concepts and a new understanding of premium strongly
defined by sustainability. BMW i is represented in 54 countries with
the BMW i3 electric car for urban areas, BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports
car and plug-in hybrid BMW iPerformance Automobiles. BMW i is also
associated with enterprises including DriveNow (car sharing), ReachNow
(car sharing 2.0), ChargeNow (easy access to the world’s largest
network of charging points), ParkNow (straightforward location,
reservation and payment of parking spaces), BMW i Ventures (investment
in start-up companies), BMW Energy Services and the Centre of
Competence for Urban Mobility (consultancy for cities).

Further information on official fuel consumption figures, specific
CO2 emission values and the electric power consumption of new
passenger cars is included in the following guideline: “Leitfaden über
Kraftstoffverbrauch, die CO2-Emissionen und den Stromverbrauch neuer
Personenkraftwagen” (Guideline for fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and
electric power consumption of new passenger cars), which can be
obtained from all dealerships, from Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH
(DAT), Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, 73760 Ostfildern-Scharnhausen and at
http://www.dat.de/en/offers/publications/guideline-for-fuel-consumption.html.
LeitfadenCO2 (GuidelineCO2) (PDF ‒ 2.7 MB)

The BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the
world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles
and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global
company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly facilities
in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and
145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately
€ 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31
December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.